As part of the FairCommerce Initiative the Händlerbund, along with online merchants in Germany, is carrying out a survey of the problems regarding the right of withdrawal. The legislature is granting customers dealing with long-distance transactions extensive rights. When it comes to Fairness, online merchants have to trust their customers and are regularly disappointed. The results of the study show how severe the abuse of revocation rights in online trade is.

1. 1www.haendlerbund.de
RETURNS-STUDY 2016
HOW FAIR ARE CUSTOMERS IN ONLINE TRADE?
www.haendlerbund.de
Händlerbund
Study
September
2016
Surveyed
Online Merchants
856

2. 2www.haendlerbund.de
Table of Contents
Foreword3
1 | Damaged Original Packaging by Frequency 4
2 | Damaged Original Packaging by Product Groups 5
3 | Damaged Textiles by Frequency 7
4 | Damaged Textiles by Business Segment 8
5 | Right of Withdrawal Problems – Top 10 9
Results 10
About Händlerbund 11
Contact12

3. 3www.haendlerbund.de
WE ASKED
856ONLINE
MERCHANTS
RETURNS-STUDY 2016
AspartoftheFairCommerceInitiativetheHändlerbund,alongwithonlinemerchants
in Germany, is carrying out a survey of the problems regarding the right of withdra-
wal. The legislature is granting customers dealing with long-distance transactions
extensive rights. When it comes to Fairness, online merchants have to trust their
customers and are regularly disappointed. The results of the study show how se-
vere the abuse of revocation rights in online trade is.
FOREWORD

4. 4www.haendlerbund.de
„EVERY FIFTH
SHIPMENT IS
RETURNED WITH
DAMAGED
PACKAGING.“
We asked online merchants if they received returns with
damaged original packaging.
1 | DAMAGED ORIGINAL PACKAGING BY FREQUENCY
2%
75%
YES
NO
NO
ANSWER
21%
23%

5. 5www.haendlerbund.de
2 | DAMAGED ORIGINAL PACKAGING BY PRODUCT GROUPS
On average, half of the damaged returns that online merchants receive can’t be resold at the
original price and the online merchant is forced to offer the item at a discount of (on average)
35%. The loss of sales is enormous.
Electronics
Cosmetics Watches
Jewelry
No
Answer
Textiles Toys
36%
5% 4% 26%
21% 8%

6. 6www.haendlerbund.de
„ALMOST EVERY SECOND RETURN
CONTAINS DAMAGED GOODS.
SALE
The goods then have to
be discounted by 35% -
textiles by 42%!
35%
42%
44%

7. 7www.haendlerbund.de
3 | DAMAGED TEXTILES BY FREQUENCY
Among online merchants, textile deliveries that were returned al-
ready worn or damaged made up 1/3 of all returns. Of all returns,
online merchants find textiles in almost every fifth delivery that
have been damaged or worn.
42%
NO
ANSWER
18%
„ONLINE MERCHANTS
FIND TEXTILES THAT
HAVE BEEN DAMAGED
OR WORN IN EVERY
FIFTH RETURN.
YES
31% 27%
NO

8. 8www.haendlerbund.de
4 | DAMAGED TEXTILES BY BUSINESS SEGMENT
Almost half of the online textile merchants who have had problems with returned damaged goods come from the women’s and
men’s clothing sector. Sportswear, household textiles and underwear are also problematic sectors.
Clothing
Underwear Shoes No
Answer
Sporting
Goods
45%
8% 6% 19%
10%
Fabrics for
Furnishing
9%
Bags
Leather Goods
4%

9. 9www.haendlerbund.de
NEGATIVE REVIEWS
Especially troublesome are negative reviews for Ebay and
Amazon merchants which are used as a means of pressure.
5 | RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL PROBLEMS – TOP 10
LEGAL UNCERTAINTY
Ignorance of the legal situation by online merchants and
buyers can cause a disregard for return deadlines, explicit
notices of withdrawal and grounds for exclusion regarding
the right of withdrawal.
SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS
The distinction between withdrawal and a lawful guarantee
can frequently lead to problems. Buyers try to persuade
the merchants to cover the costs of returns siting product
defects or product inadequacy as the reason for the return.
FREIGHT COLLECT COSTS
When goods are returned freight collect; contrary to the
terms and conditions.
BUYER CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
Buyers can be construed as oppressive and extortionate.
They know their rights as buyers, however not what is re-
quired of them.
TERMS OF USE
Legal requirements differing from the provisions put in pla-
ce by online markets like Ebay or Amazon, can cause ambi-
guity and insecurity.
REASONABLENESS
Selection orders or indiscriminate orders cause online
merchants unnecessary costs and effort.
B2B TRADE
Consumer Law for withdrawal has been widely expanded
to include commercial business.
FRAUD ATTEMPTS
Buyers exchange the received goods with different, less
valuable or damaged products and send these back as the
authentic return.
ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS
Returns without notification lead to assignment problems
from the return shipments and problems for the online
merchants during processing.

10. 10www.haendlerbund.de
RESULTS
In
44%
of the cases, returned textiles cannot be
resold at the original price.
35%
is the average discount that has to be
granted for the resell of returned goods.
15%
of all the online merchants surveyed
complained of ambiguities currently in
the right of withdrawal.
MORE THAN
3/4 of online merchants receive returns
with damaged original packaging.
Every
5th
return in online trade is returned
worn, dirty or without a label.

11. 11www.haendlerbund.de
ABOUT
HÄNDLERBUND
As the largest online trade association in Europe,
Händlerbund is an important voice in the e-commerce
industry and also a valued partner. The association
promotes exchange between traders and service
providers to support digital and stationary trade in a
sustainable manner as well as broadening the horizons
for the future. Händlerbund actively engages with its
members and partners thanks to the representation
and bringing together of various services throughout
Europe.
TheFairCommerceInitiativewasbroughtintoexistence
by the Händlerbund and it stands for fair competition
and is against the abuse of legal written warnings.
After only one year, 35,000 online shops have joined
the Fair Commerce Initiative.
Over 50,000
protected online
presences
The largest online
trade association in
Europe
BASIC INFORMATION
Founded in 2008
One of the leading
legal text providers
on the Internet

12. 12www.haendlerbund.de
Händlerbund e. V.
ARCUS Park
Torgauer Straße 233
04347 Leipzig
Represented by the Federal Chairman
Mr. Andreas Arlt
Telefon: 0341 / 926 59 0
Telefax: 0341 / 926 59 100
E-Mail: info@haendlerbund.de
Internet: www.haendlerbund.de
Registered in the local court of Leipzig
Registry Number VR 4663
CONTACT
This report is exclusively for informational purposes. The
suggestions and tips contained herein are given in good
faith. The Händlerbund assumes no liability.
© Händlerbund 2016
Händlerbund-Study
September 2016
STUDY 2016
WE ASKED
856 MERCHANTS,
IF THEY HAVE
EVER RECEIVED
RETURNS CONT-
AINING DAMAGED
GOODS.